LAWRENCE, Kan. – After earning two saves in the Jayhawks’ series win against No. 19 Oklahoma State, Kansas junior relief pitcher Jordan Piché was named the Big 12 Conference’s Newcomer of the Week on Monday. Piché becomes the first Jayhawk to be tabbed Newcomer of the Week by the conference since Ka’iana Eldredge earned the honor on May 16, 2011.

Piché, a 6-foot-1 right-handed pitcher from Greeley, Colo., made four scoreless appearances last week, earning three saves – including two against No. 19 Oklahoma State. He worked 6 2/3 innings and allowed no runs on four hits with one walk and four strikeouts.

Piché issued a one-out walk in the ninth inning on Friday night against Oklahoma State, which snapped a streak of 19 2/3 innings without allowing a base on balls (10 relief appearances). He also made a three-inning save in the series-clincher against the Cowboys, protecting a 3-2 lead.

The junior college transfer ranks second in the Big 12 with a 0.59 ERA in 30 2/3 innings and is also second in the conference in saves with six. He has also posted a 4-1 record with 25 strikeouts in 15 appearances.

Piché and the Jayhawks travel to Iowa City for a two-game, non-conference series against Iowa at Duane Banks Field. KU faces the Hawkeyes Tuesday at 6 p.m., and Wednesday at 4 p.m.